Want to Fight a Power Line?

RETA is providing the following information to assist those who are concerned about the many negative property value, environmental, health, safety, economic development and aesthetic impacts of overhead high voltage power lines. Electricity transmission companies will not provide this information to you, even though they know it exists, because they do not want you to know. If you plan to oppose an overhead transmission line in your community, please feel free to use any of this information and any other information at this website that you may find helpful. The information found at this website, including the Fact Sheets, are based on thousands of hours of research of peer-reviewed scientific, medical and technical papers published in highly credible journals; reports, documents and academic papers; the print and electronic media; and on discussions with property value, health, safety, environmental and undergrounding experts from around the world.

Your Health

There have been literally hundreds of studies that show there are serious health effects from prolonged exposure to the low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and air pollutants charged by corona ions that emanate from overhead high voltage transmission lines. Learn more about power lines and Your Health.

Your Safety

Whether it’s pipeline corrosion, tornadoes, ice-storms or electric shocks from induced currents, above ground power lines and homes and schools just don’t mix. Learn more about power lines and Your Safety.

The Environment

Bird deaths resulting from collision with overhead transmission lines have been reported for over 100 years. Each year about 174 million birds are killed by power lines in the U.S. alone. We build wetlands as sanctuaries for migrating birds and then erect power lines to kill them… makes no sense. Learn more about power lines and The Environment.

Property Values

A British study in 2007 showed the value of properties at a distance of less than 100m from high voltage overhead transmission lines was 38% lower than comparable properties. The effect of devaluation has been seen up to 2.5 kilometres from such lines (Askon Consulting Group 2008). Learn more about power lines and Your Property Value.

Does it Affect You?

Overhead high voltage transmission lines affect all of us. Ugly monstrous towers and lines are an assault on the senses, unsafe and need to be put UNDERGROUND! If one child dies of leukemia because of overhead transmission lines, then it’s everyone’s problem.

What Can You Do?

Stay tuned to the RETA website for updated information.

Write or email your federal, provincial (state or regional), and local (municipal) government representatives, expressing your concerns about overhead high voltage transmission lines, and the many benefits of burying them. Please feel free to use any facts and other information from RETA’s website that you may find helpful.

Help organize your community because there are undoubtedly many of your neighbours who are also upset about a newly-proposed overhead transmission line in your area. Remember, there is strength in numbers. Speak with your local media; write letters to your local newspaper editors; make lawn signs, T-shirts and other material to promote your efforts opposing the overhead line. Some well-organized communities have been successful in stopping new overhead transmission lines and/or in getting sections of new lines undergrounded. The momentum to bury high voltage lines is building. Electricity transmission companies, electricity regulators and governments can no longer ignore the facts.

Participate directly in any hearing by your local or regional electricity regulator on a particular application by a transmission company for new high voltage transmission infrastructure. Strongly express your concerns, in writing and orally, about overhead power lines, question the need for the lines, and point out the benefits of burying them if it can be proven the lines are necessary. Again, please feel free to use any facts and other information from RETA’s website that you may find helpful.

Read, first-hand, the hundreds of references we have provided at this website, if you are skeptical of our Fact Sheets or other summaries.

Visit websites and Facebook sites of other organizations that provide factual information about transmission lines and/or are fighting above-ground transmission lines all over the world, to find out how they are opposing these lines.

Contact credible experts in the fields you are most concerned about to discuss your concerns and find out whether they would be willing to appear as expert witnesses on your behalf at public electricity transmission regulatory hearings.

Find out from your local electricity transmission regulator whether they will reimburse you for expert witness and legal fees that you may incur as part of your submission to the regulator, opposing a particular overhead high voltage transmission line.

Make sure you and other members of your community/organization present your concerns in writing to your electricity regulator, and directly (orally) at a public hearing.

Consider making a financial donation to RETA. It takes a lot of money to fight overhead lines.

RETA has been providing information (free) to the public for over 6 years on the negative impacts of overhead (above ground) high voltage transmission lines, and the many benefits of burying (undergrounding) them. Our best estimates, based on information from underground cable experts, are that it costs no more to bury transmission lines than to build them above ground, particularly when you combine capital, maintenance and transmission loss costs over the life of a line. And, when you add in the costs associated with health problems and property devaluation caused by overhead lines, underground lines are cheaper than above ground lines. Let your elected representatives know that you want high voltage transmission lines buried, and/or re-evaluated to determine whether particular lines are even needed at all.